<p>Incoming Senior from a competitive private-school</p>
<p>Nationality: Indian
GPA (weighted): 4.12/5.0 (high 3's freshman and sophomore year, i was a slacker; 5.0 junior year; plan on getting over a 5.0 senior year)
Class Rank: High school does not rank
AP's: US history, Calc AB, Physics C: Mechanics, Euro History
Accelerated: Algebra II, Precalc, Chemistry
Honors: Brit Lit, French 1,2, & 3, Bio
ACT: 33 (plan to retake)
- Math: 34
- Reading: 32
- Science: 34
- English: 32
SAT: 2050 (plan to retake)
- Math: 740
- Reading: 670
- Writing: 640
Recs: Very Good
Essays: Decent</p>
<p>Senior Loadout:
AP's: Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism, Calc BC, US gov, Stat
Accelerated: Advanced Java Programming
Honors: Irish Imagination (english class on irish literature)</p>
<p>EC's:
Model UN
Youth Legislature
Mock Trial
3 Years soccer (plan to letter senior year)
3 Years swimming (definitely going to letter senior year)
150+ Volunteer hours:
- Tutoring underprivileged inner-city kids
- Volunteering in rural, local clinics in India
- Volunteering in Mother Teresa's center for abandoned, mentally/physically handicapped children in India
10 years of piano
Civic Service Honor Society, French Honor Society, Math Team</p>
<p>Again…your chances are obvious and this is yet another public bragging laundry list…congratulations on your accomplishments…but this is supposed to be reserved for kids that really are on the borderline. Sorry to be so mean about it but…really???</p>
<p>i honestly wasn’t trying to brag or anything; i really didn’t think i would be at all. this is actually my first time posting cuz i’m new to this and didn’t really know what to expect. the reason i asked is because i felt like my gpa and ec’s were lacking. can i assume that they aren’t or not?</p>
<p>What is your estimated class rank?
GPA may be a concern.</p>
<p>I think that some people on CC don’t find out much about their schools before they ask to be chanced. UofMich is a great school, but a simple web search can make you realize that your test scores put you well above the typical applicant.</p>
<p>Well put…mango…we always looked up the ranges of stats from the previous Fall… before applying to see where we fit in that range…these stats are very easy to find and a much better judge of chance. If someone has the diversity/hardship/unique circumstances/ lives in the URS and doesn’t quite fit in the range…than by all means ask away especially there might be someone on this cc site that can share their own admittance experience. Again, Michigan looks at the WHOLE applicant and does not base on just anyone factor…that statement is also mentioned on their admitted student profile website…along with many other great tips like what they look for in their essays as well. We also used the good old college handbooks for quick reference information to compares admittance stats, readily available at all bookstore or libraries near you.</p>
<p>well blackpen, if i had to say a range for where i rank, i think i’d be in the top 25% probably, but there are some pretty smart cookies at my school, so it MIGHT be debatable. and how much of a concern do you think my gpa would be? i know it’s a little low, but is it low enough to get rejected?</p>
<p>and littlefalls and mango, i had already checked stats on the school and was aware that i had the test scores down. my main concern here is my gpa and ec’s because i think my gpa converts to a 3.6 on the 4.0 scale when weighted, which is slightly on the lower side in comparison to the stats; i’ve read that u of mich puts high emphasis on gpa. is there validity to this statement? and to me, my ec’s seem low because most of my friends are smarter than i am and have a laundry list of awards and ec’s on their apps. i may be just acting foolishly paranoid, but can anyone confirm if i’m all right or not? in comparison to my friends, i’m just not that confident about them.</p>
<p>and i appreciate all of your patience with a newbie like me and your replies to this. first time on a college forum; i guess i’m just ignorant here. but thank you</p>
<p>You are not ignorant…I have just had many more years of experience and have read all the books and websites on the subject. Worrying about acceptance is one thing and scholarship is a whole nother subject all together…so be sure what you are asking us. Okay…please understand that not all high schools look alike and they are evaluated differently. Michigan will look at your school’s profile and understand whether or not it was competitive…so a 3.7 at an highly competitive school may be evaluated differenly than a 4.0 at a less competitive etc. You can read your hs profile and their website or ask your gc for a copy that they send to colleges. They are looking for course rigor #1 (you have that for sure)…essays are also very important, rank is not hugely evaluated again because not all high schools even have this. Your good really!!! Another thing about EC’s. They want to see your passion and committment. In other words your consistent 3-4 year committment to both soccer and swimming are a really good thing It would be helpful to have some leadership in one or two clubs for good measure…but I assure you that they see through the kids that provide a huge laundry list of activities (resume builders and fluff) that they maybe showed up to one or two meetings for throughout the 4 years…they know that trick. Unless I did not read this, you did not mention whether you are OOS or IS. or what major you are looking at some are more competitive than others…this does make a difference. You should now be focusing your efforts of those essays…knock that diversity one out of the park… They love unique and talented!!! I can help give some advice there too. My s is OOS got non-need scholarship …on good in the upper range stats, but his essays were very unique and showed diversity that was not the obvious. Also helpful if you are still worried is read the past acceptances and their stats on this site. Good Luck and stop worrying.</p>
<p>well thank you for explaining things to me a little more and the much-needed reassurance. i tend to fret easily. i didn’t take into consideration that gpa’s might be evaluated differently. and i was initially asking just about acceptance because i didn’t think i’d be in the running for a scholarship (btw, im OOS; sorry i forgot to mention it). would i have a chance at scholarships and if so, how would i go about it? also, i’m interested in finance right now so i was considering applying for preferred admission into the ross bba program. and i’m not the strongest writer, but i’m doing the best i can with the essays! any tips you could give me would be golden!</p>
<p>Okay if you are OOS if may be a bit more competitive since they accept a higher % in IS. However, I don’t know what the essay topics are for 2010, but last year there were 3: One Question that you choose from a list, one specifically about why you want to major in ________ and the most important diversity essay. The reason there is so much emphasis on the diversity essay is because it is the one essay that EVERYONE has to write and Michigan prides itself on this tradition of rich diversity. Just remember that you are writing in a very honest way…do not try to be or sound like some else. Use all personal examples in your essay…do not speak in generalities. They want to get to know you. Diversity can be interpreted in so many ways other than the standard cultural way which can still be part of it. For example you can have experienced religious, cultural, environmental, academic, economic, intellectual etc etc. You need to prove to them that you want to attend the U of MI because of their proud tradition for this rich diverse community. </p>
<p>Lastly my best advice especially for OOS folks that really want to attend U of MI. GO VISIT before you write your essay so you can speak to them about your personal experience based on what you saw, felt, learned first hand. They want to hear what a great fit they are for YOU! If you make that effort to travel some distance to visit then it shows that they are just not some school on your list of others. They want to always think they are your #1. Do Not quote USNWR ratings to them. Lastly they really want to have your OOS $$ and want to choose kids with great potential and are most likely to say yes!! It is NOT all about the stats which is why we LOVE IT!!! The OOS kids with out of this world stats usually get some $$. Also if you come from an URS like Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico etc etc neighboring states and East Coast, West Coast are well represented…that helps your case as well…because they love to say that they represent all 50 states. Good luck with that soccer and swimming…</p>